JUMP!

Eva has discovered a love for jumping. She is finally big enough for her Johnny Jumper where she now spends a lot of her time. It is pretty funny and cute to watch.

Fun Week in Salt Lake and Park City

Eva and I drove down to Salt Lake for a full week in anticipation of the Ballou-girl weekend in Park City. It is a fun tradition where all of the girls in the Ballou extended family stay in a hotel in Park City, have a big sleepover, eat lots of yummy food, and shop! It was a splendid time and I can't wait for the next one. Shopping with Nancy, Meg and Em was my favorite part I have to say....and well, eating too! I wish I had some pictures, but we're waiting for photographer Tonya to show us the cute ones she took. Missed you Ashley and Tara!

We also had a fun time with my family hiking and seeing the beautiful fall colors. Living away from SLC makes me appreciate the amazing mountains there even more. I loved walking through the leaves with my girl.

I love downtown Salt Lake so we met my Dad for lunch and went to the Nauvoo Cafe.
Eva is 7 months old and I still have not put bumper pads in her crib yet. Until now! Poor girl has been bumping her head. So my sweet mother in law helped me make some bumper pads, a quilt, and skirt. Actually, she did most of it because she is a talented seamstress, but I helped by occasionally threading the needle. She did an amazing job. Eva loves her new bedding!
It was a wonderful week, but we missed Eric and I think he missed us too. He's so sweet. When we got home, I walked into a spotless house with flowers, chocolates and a note on the counter.

Workout Tip of the Week: Interval Training Workout

Ready to spice up your workouts? Interval training is a time-efficient way to do strength training while also getting cardiovascular benefits. You can burn a lot of calories and so it is excellent for individuals who want to lose weight. It involves alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with rest. Here is a total- body interval training workout to try:

It takes about 45 minutes. You will need weights (8-12 lbs) and stairs or a chair.
Warm-up for 10 minutes.

Station 1: Lunges with weights/ Running: Do a set of 15-20 repetitions of lunges (walking or in place) holding weights. Then run as hard as you can outside or on a treadmill for 1 minute. Slow down to walking for 30-45 seconds Repeat twice so you do 3 sets at this station.

Station 2: Push-ups/ Jumping Jacks: Do as many push-ups as you can then do 20 jumping jacks. Rest for 30-45 seconds by walking in place and repeat all twice.

Station 3: Bicep Curls/ Jump Squats: Do 15-20 bicep curls. Then do 15-20 jump- squats, which is going into a low squat and then jumping. Rest for 30-45 seconds and then repeat all twice.

Station 4: Crunches & Bicycles/ Stairs or stepping up on a chair: Do 15 crunches and then 15 bicycles (for abs: elbow to opposite knee while legs are in cycling motion). Then climb up and down the stairs 3-4 times. Or you can step up and down from a chair or bench for 1 minute. Rest 30-45 seconds and then repeat all twice.

Cool down for 5-10 minutes. Stretch.

You may add more stations or create your own workout. Here are some more ideas for your intense cardio sprints. Just simply partner them with a strength exercise.

jumping jacks, running, jumprope, jump squats, stairs, lunges, stepping up on a chair or or an aerobics step, cycling, etc.

TURN UP THE MUSIC AND HAVE FUN!

Dad is teaching me early.

Workout Tip of the Week: LOWER ABS: From Flab to Fab!

While working at the gym I think the number one complaint I heard was along the lines of, "For as many crunches that I do, I just can't get rid of this lower ab flab." Especially for women who have had babies, it is not easy to flatten that area around the bellybutton, but there are some things that can really help and the first step is to learn what ab exercises work the different parts of the core. A common belief is that standard crunches work the whole abdominal area, including the lower part. But although they are good to do, they mostly work the top which is where you feel it.

In order to strengthen the lower abdominal region, you have to do exercises that involve lifting the lower body. Don't worry, you don't have to do the dreaded straight-leg lifts that are nearly impossible for post-pregnancy abs. There are many variations and different things you can do. If you are feeling really weak in that area, simple pelvic tilts work well: Lay on the ground or a ball with your feet on the floor and tilt your pelvis towards you. It is a rotational movement rather than lifting up and down. You can do these while doing crunches at the same time to work the whole abdominal muscle. A few others for the LOWER ABS are:

• Bicycles: These are my favorite because they work all of the abdominal muscle- upper and lower, as well as the obliques on the sides.
• Bent-Leg Lifts: Lay on the floor with knees bent and feet on the floor. Lift, bringing your knees in towards you and then tap your feet on the floor.
• Bent-Leg Lefts with Ball: Same as above with a stability ball between the knees. Also works inner thighs!
• L-Shaped Lifts: Similar to the bent leg lift, but when you lift your legs, straighten them out so your feet point toward the ceiling then bend the knees and straighten them about 6 inches from the floor then touch toes on floor. You are drawing an L with your feet.

Give some of these a try a few times a week and you'll feel your core getting stronger and maybe even see some definition! Keep up on your cardio- it will also help you to stay slim in your middle.